Melting of Landfast Ice and Sea Ice as Examples of Polar Habitat Change
- Polar regions are undergoing rapid environmental changes due to climate change, with melting landfast ice and sea ice posing serious threats to ecosystems.
- These icy habitats serve as critical breeding and hunting grounds for many species, and their loss disrupts entire food chains.
- Two key examples of this phenomenon include:
- The loss of landfast ice in Antarctica, threatening the breeding grounds of the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri).
- The loss of Arctic sea ice, endangering walrus populations, which rely on ice floes for resting and foraging.
Landfast Ice vs. Sea Ice: What's the Difference?
Definition
Landfast Ice
Ice that is attached to the coastline or the sea floor, remaining stationary.
Definition
Sea Ice
Ice that floats on the ocean surface and is not anchored to the land.
- Landfast ice provides stable platforms for breeding, while sea ice serves as hunting and resting grounds.
- Unlike landfast ice, sea ice moves with ocean currents. It is crucial for species such as walruses, polar bears, and seals, which depend on it for survival.
Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) and the Loss of Landfast Ice in Antarctica
- Emperor penguins depend on landfast ice for their breeding colonies.
- Traditionally, they lay their eggs and raise their chicks on stable ice platforms from May to December.
- However, due to early ice breakup, entire colonies may be destroyed, as chicks may not have fully developed waterproof feathers before being forced into the water.
- In 2016, 2017, and 2018, thousands of emperor penguin chicks perished when the ice broke up too early, preventing them from fledging.
- This resulted in a catastrophic decline in the local population.
